


The Founding

by Solemnly_Swear



Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Multi, clan founding, progenitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 12:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16492640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solemnly_Swear/pseuds/Solemnly_Swear
Summary: A story of how my Flight Rising clan was formed.





	1. Lonely Beginnings

_Seiyssrial…_

_Seiyssrial…_

A storm-colored dragon pawed at her fluff-covered face in her sleep as the word interrupted her dreams once again. She’d heard it - _felt it_ \- so many times now that it was permanently etched in her mind.

_Seiyssrial…_

Slowly, the dragon stirred again. She uncurled her legs and tail, which had been wrapped around her slumbering body, before raising her head from the golden grasses beneath her. The young Tundra craned her neck around in an arc until she felt her spine slide into place with a satisfying _click_.

“Sei-yss-ri-al,” she repeated softly and deliberately to herself as she licked her dry lips. The word had been entering her dreams with an increasing frequency. A sense of urgency accompanied the sound. Along with it came a tempest of thoughts and emotions she couldn’t quite describe. She grew unusually restless, losing her usual focused calm. She felt as if she was constantly being called towards something greater; something _beyond_.

“Lightmother?” she asked of her deity. “What does Seiyssrial mean?”

“Nothing,” came a cool reply.

“Nothing? How can it mean nothing when it feels so important?”

“Oh, little Tuulith,” the motherly voice caressed at her mind, “you are _my_ child. You are a beacon of knowledge; a font of truth. You are no oracle, young one. Fret not over such nonsense as dreams.”

Tuulith quickly hushed, sensing an abrupt end to the discussion. Her Lightmother would not - could not - explain this word, yet she knew better than to brush it aside as _nothing_. It was something - something her future weighed heavily upon.


	2. It's Settled

The word continued to tangle itself in Tuulith’s dreams. Days stretched into weeks until Tuulith could no longer hold her curiosity at bay. She gathered up what few possessions she cared about and found her best, and only, friend Rosinth to tell him the good news.

“Hey, Ros,” Tuulith said as she trotted up to the other Tundra. “It’s settled. We can fly now, so I’m leaving. There’s nothing left for me in this terrace. I’m sure of it. You can come along…if you’d like.” She tilted her head at Ros, tapping her tufted tail against the dewy morning ground. He’d grown up at some point over the past weeks, now nearly twice her length. She smiled fondly at him, remembering the first day they’d met - the day she’d named him Rosinth because of his bright rosy coloring.

Rosinth blinked at Tuulith, as usual taking an extra moment to let her words sink in. Tuulith, as kindly as possible, often described him as ‘a bit dim for a dragon of Light’. It was true. He was not intelligent or wise. He wasn’t even brave or strong. But he was fiercely loyal and Tuulith was the only love he’d known.

“Of course I’m comin’,” he said as he swatted his tail against Tuulith’s own. “If yer goin’, I’m goin’ with ya.”

Tuulith nodded. “Good! It may be a long journey. I’m not sure where we’re going but I’ll be glad to have your company along the way.” Without even a wayward glance behind her, Tuulith set out on her adventure. She knew not where she was going, but somehow knew that if she trusted her instincts she would end up where ever it was she belonged.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tuulith and Rosith traveled much farther than they’d originally expected. They left the lands of the Light and soon found themselves in the land of Shadow. It was different. Cold and dark where their home and been warm and bright. But it was not a  _ bad _ different, Tuulith decided as they traveled through. It was almost a welcome reprieve from the expectations that weighed down upon her in her homeland. There was no pressure to be good and wise, yet…it was a land full of lies and trickery, much like the curt response the Lightweaver had given to her most important question.

Rosinth was glad when Tuulith decided the Tangled Wood was not to be their new home. The endless nights drug on and on, seemingly forever, but eventually the pair began to see more light once again. They hadn’t circled back around and ended up in their home, but instead had found their way to the realm of the Earthshaker.

“This is it!” Tuulith had cried out when they’d first stepped foot onto the Shattered Plain. She felt an immediate connection to the rocky earth, as if roots were stretching from the pads of her feet down into the depths of stone.

“It’s kinda desolate,” Rosinth had said as his gaze swept across the plain.

“Perhaps. But I can feel it already. This land is full of a different type of knowledge. The dragons that live here understand the past. Surely one of them can explain my dreams.” Tuulith replied optimistically, never losing hope of finding the  _ beyond _ she sought.

The two settled down in a corner of the Shattered Plain, near the Pillar of the World, for awhile. They grew and matured, reaching adulthood. It was obvious to everyone but Tuulith that Rosith loved her. She loved him, too, but his affections were deeper, woven in with the strands of his loyalty. It came as no surprise to anyone that Tuulith took Rosinth as a mate when she came of egg-bearing age. Their friends rejoiced when Tuulith laid four healthy eggs.

However, Tuulith felt little attachment to her offspring and, when Seiyssrial urged Tuulith to continue the journey she’d originally begun, her children decided to remain with the little clan they were born into. “Earth dragons,” Tuulith would later explain, “through and through. They favored the familiar, the sure and steady path. They had no sense of adventure.”


	3. The Arcanist

Tuulith led Rosinth toward the west, eventually drawing near the lands of the Arcane. One day on their travels they ran into a peculiar breed of dragon she’d never seen before. He was huge, to put it mildly.

“Greetings, travelers,” his voice rang out, echoing against walls of stone, “my name is Seiro. What brings two young fluffs like yourself out this way?”

“Hello, Sei- Wait!” Tuulith ran forward and stuck her nose as close as she could get to the tall dragon’s face. “Your name is  _ Sei _ ro?!”

“Yes,” Seiro spoke with confusion as a couple of Fae fluttered out from their hiding spot in his wings.

“Sei…Sei…could it be?!” Tuulith trilled eagerly. “Oh! This is wonderful. I  _ knew _ I’d find what I was looking for in these lands.”

“Um?” Seiro glanced at his Fae companions before looking back to Tuulith. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’re Seiro! Surely you must know what Seiyssrial means?!”

“Sei…yssrial?” Seiro shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t. I can see where you’re drawing a connection, but I’ve never heard that word in any of my long years.”

“No!” Tuulith cried. “No! It  _ must _ be you. I’m sure of it.” Her ears flatted in disappointment against the fur on her neck, tail stilling as it curled around her hind leg. “Please, Seiro. Let us travel with you. I must learn from you.”

“Well, now, I do enjoy taking students,” Seiro said as he cast a backward grin at the Fae who were fluttering above his wings. “But…I’m not sure anything I can say will help you.”

“Something will. I’m positive! I can  _ feel _ it. Maybe it will come to me in my dreams. Maybe…we’re just meant to be together.”

“Well, it’s hard to argue with that, little lady,” Seiro spoke with a chuckle. “Fate, eh?” He chuckled again. “Alright. You and your friend,” he said with a nod at Rosinth, “are welcome to travel with me. I’ve just been out hunting gems. I’m an arcanist, you see, and I use gems from this land in some of my work. They can be quite powerful when one knows how to use them to enhance their own magical affinities.” The Imperial dragon rambled on, obviously knowledgeable about his craft and glad for a chance to share it with an interested party.


	4. Sea of Green

Tuulith and Seiro became fast friends, much to Rosinth’s dismay. The Tundra couldn’t help but be jealous at having to share his beloved with not just one other male, but three! It turns out Seiro’s companions were three Fae - two of them males named Scratch and Screech. The third was a female named Scythe and she was a bit more…mysterious. Tuulith gleaned quickly that Scythe was the only of the three with any real power, but Rosinth couldn’t help but fret. What if Tuulith abandoned him after realizing Seiro was much wiser and more cultured?

Rosthin truly had nothing to fear, however, and the six dragons spent many days traveling Dragonhome in search of gems. Seiro spoke often of his arcane affinity, learning more about Tuulith and Rosith all the while. During one starlit discussion, Seiro dared to utter the word ‘seer’. Tuulith had never heard the word before, especially not in relation to herself, but Seiro insisted she was one. It explained her dreams and the ‘instinct’ that continued to guide her path.

More convinced than ever that they were beginning to find answers to Seiyssrial, the group traveled on. Their travels gradually became less about searching for gems and more about listening to the ‘voice’ that beckoned Tuulith. Before long, the oddball group of dragons found their way to the edges of the Viridian Labyrinth. It was a land greener than anything Tuulith had ever seen and it called to her in a way no other land had.

“It’s here,” she whispered as they first crossed into the Everbloom Gardens. “It - or perhaps they.” After all, the first part of the riddle had turned out to be Seiro, so it was entirely possible the solution would be found in another dragon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Within a few days, Tuulith, Seiro, and company ran into a pair of brothers. The brothers were more beautiful than any dragons Tuulith had ever seen. While Seiro had a gleaming hide - his was subtle and aged. The brothers, on the other hand, were bold and bright.

Tuulith was surprised to learn that Yssresa, the one who was near-black, saffron, and red, was younger than herself. He seemed older and wiser and already towered above her, nearly matching Seiro in stature. Yssresa was calm, quiet, and steady. “Ahh, an Earth dragon!” Tuulith had laughed when the realization finally hit her. His wise-beyond-years personality made perfect sense as that piece of the puzzle fell into place.

His brother, Aleoraac, was a stunning coloration of purples, coral, and peach. He, like his elder brother, was collected and reserved. He rarely spoke unless spoken to and seemed to prefer the company of Rosinth to Tuulith and Seiro. Tuulith could tell already that he was brave and would grow into a strong, steady warrior. He would be a dragon as sturdy as the Earth element he came from.

It was also instantaneously obvious that the brothers were two more parts of Tuulith’s Seiyssrial. She’d found her Sei, her Yss, and her Al. The Ri, however, remained elusive.  _ Perhaps it’s actually supposed to be ‘ro’ for Rosinth _ , she thought once,  _ or even ‘ree’ like Screech _ . Such thoughts felt wrong, though, and she quickly brushed them aside. None of the dragons in her growing clan were the final answer to her destiny, so she knew that she must continue on in search of it.


	5. Fate

Tuulith was alone one sunny afternoon, enjoying a bath in the pools of the Gladeveins. She’d been spending many hours in meditation lately, trying to decide what direction she should go. Nothing, so far, seemed right. She knew her companions grew anxious, itching for her to decide which direction their path led. She contemplated travelling to the land of Wind or perhaps to Seiro’s former home in the Starfall Isles. Tuulith wondered if she was meant to travel back to her own native land - perhaps to mend things with her Lightmother.

“You’ve come.”

A soft, shaking voice interrupted Tuulith’s wandering thoughts. She opened one eyelid, peering out as best as she could beneath a blinding sun. Part of her was nearly convinced the voice had been a figment of her daydreams when it came louder.

“I’ve been waiting for months, child. It’s about time you arrived.”

Tuulith knew without a doubt that this voice was not merely a vision. She jumped to her feet, wet fur heavy against her hide. “Who’s there?” she called, glancing around.

A dragon fluttered down from a perch in an overhead bough, landing on her feet just a stride away from Tuulith. The Tundra took a step backward as something instinctively drove her away from the swampy-colored Nocturne. “W-who are you?” she asked nervously as she nearly tripped over her own tail.

“Relax, dear girl,” the Nocturne spoke in a slightly more convincing voice. “I won’t hurt you.” She laughed - a cackle that made Tuulith’s soggy fur stand up on her neck.

She peered at Tuulith for a moment, eyes brighter than the pools of water they stood in carefully assessing the young Tundra. “You’ve come,” the Nocturne spoke again. “You’ve traveled far,” she observed. “And…you’ve brought...friends?”

Tuulith nodded, unsure what else to say. It was the first time in her young life she’d truly experienced fear. She was alone and out of earshot of her clan. She’d have to screech louder than Screech himself to call any of them to her rescue.

“You’re still nervous,” the Nocturne spoke softly, creeping toward Tuulith. She stooped down to lay the wooden staff she carried on the ground and then lowered the hood that shadowed her head. “I said I won’t hurt you and I won’t. But perhaps I should start at the beginning.” She curled her lips up in the faintest of smiles, blue eyes softening as she drank in Tuulith again.

“I am Ricara.” The words dripped out of her mouth purposefully, each syllable enunciated as her quivering voice steadied.


	6. Seiyssrial Spire

Three words were all it took to bring everything together.  Tuulith’s fear waned and she immediately began chattering at Ricara.  The older dragon had laughed and patted her on the head, letting her prattle on until she had no words left within her.  Then, when Tuulith had finally finished telling the tale of her travels, Ricara began a story of her own.

Ricara was not a seer like Tuulith.  She was a sea witch who sometimes saw glimpses into the future.  She’d known a dragon would be coming for her for many years, now, and it seemed the closer Tuulith got the more clear the vision became.  Ricara knew her seeker drew near when Tuulith’s true form and color materialized in her visions and that’s when she began searching for the dragon who came looking for her.

With all the pieces - all the dragons - together, Tuulith finally felt peace.  She finally had a clan where she truly felt she belonged. However, finding Ricara wasn’t the end of her journey; her story was still only just beginning.

The unlikely clan of dragons spoke well into the night for many nights, discussing their pasts, the present, and a myriad of possible futures.  Tuulith listened closely to each dragon’s tale, taking care to learn more about each of the founding members of her clan. She also carefully considered the things each one yearned for.

Rosinth was a simple dragon.  He merely wanted to be loved by Tuulith for all eternity.  He dreamed of the two sharing a long life of happiness together, whether or not it involved any more offspring.  Tuulith smiled sadly at him, knowing that even though she loved him dearly she would never be in love with him. Still, she’d never felt a twinge of romantic interest in any other dragon, so she solemnly nodded and agreed that she, too, hoped they would never part ways.

Seiro and his adopted triplets were more complicated.  He wanted to continue Tuulith’s training, believing that her abilities as a seer would continue to grow.  He also wanted to tutor her, and others, in the vast universe of arcane magic. He yearned for a place where magical knowledge was valued - but not placed on a pedestal above all else.  Seiro also wanted friends and companions. He’d already adopted the three orphaned Fae and had also taken Tuulith and Rosinth under his wings. Yet he wanted more - a larger clan constantly filled with joy and laughter.

Yssresa wanted many of the things other Earth dragons value.  He wanted a clan that would stand the tests of time, changing little along the way.  He was a teller of tales, an avid historian, and had a heart as gold as the glimmering scales of his belly.  While his brother, Aleoraac, dreamed of building a strong army of warriors, Yssresa wanted peace. He wanted to create a safe haven where all dragons would be welcomed and none would be turned away.  Where Seiro yearned for laughter, Yssresa envisioned a land of serenity and solitude.

Ricara’s wishes were ever-changing.  Tuulith supposed it suited her Water element, but often joked that she’d assume Ricara was akin to the Wind if she hadn’t known better.  Aside from changing whims, Ricara had two wishes that constantly held true. She wanted a home that was both beautiful and unique, one where a dragon could find trinkets and treasures washed ashore by the sea.  She also wanted a home where she could live a simple wayfarer’s life, meddling with herbs and shells as she pleased.

Tuulith thought back on her own beginnings, remembering the Light-filled home of her birth and the neighboring Shadow-cloaked lands she’d stumbled into when she was young and naive.  She decided that what she wanted most was balance. She had no desire to see the lands of Fire and Ice others spoke of. Tuulith would be content to have all the things the other founders wanted - so long as all a delicate balance remained.  A world with only light and truth is  _ too _ pristine, forcing a strict path that allows no room for dreamers or explorers.  On the other hand, a world with only darkness and trickery propagates evil, greed, and power, leading to strife.

After much discussion, the founders of the clan finally came to an agreement.  With the combined magic of all the founders, they created Seiyssrial, an island of refuge and retreat.  Aleoraac and Yssresa used their Earth magic to shatter the earth, breaking off an island with a towering spire.  Ricara chanted to the currents of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, encouraging the island to move. Seiro channeled his Arcane magic into the others, strengthening their own spellcrafting while warping the flow of time.

The founders were exhausted after the creation project, but Seiro’s magic allowed them to expend months worth of energies in a short span of time.  After that, they slept. They rested on Seiyssrial Spire for many months, slumbering as it found its way into the currents of the great sea, eventually settling into a perfect balance along the shores of the Tangled Wood and the Sunbeam Ruins.

Today, the island continues to drift around the sea.  Light and Shadow dragons must always be careful to balance their magics to keep the island from shifting too far toward either realm.  Sometimes, however, the Wind and Water dragons become too strong, overpowering the other magics at play. During these times, the island moves in turbulent currents, drifting closer towards the lands of Lighting, Fire, Wind, and Plague.  These bring about new seasons and concerns - storms, drought, frost, and decay. After a time, however, the island always settles back into a state of balance, drifting back through the seas to its intended home.

 


End file.
